Review

Saturday, November 28, 2015

[MV Review] iKON – Apology

Is it just me or is this group is
really looking similar to Big Bang? I don’t know, but iKON gives of a really
strong Big Bang vibe for me. Every time I listened to iKON’s songs, my mind
will immediately think of Big Bang. I’m going to discuss more about this
similarity in the next passage. First, let’s take a look at the group’s newest
MV.

COMMENT:

On Music

I LOVE IT! I fall in love with it
straight away. The melody is ear-wormy and addictive. I can’t stop singing it
inside my head. I thought Rhytm Ta will be my favorite song of the group, but
now I think this is my favorite song.

I love the arrangement, which
started off strong and emotional with Jun Ho’s voice (which I love berry much,
btw) then moving to the rash and strong rap of Bobby, then to the rap/narration
of B.I. and going back to the emotional voice of Jun Ho.

What I love from this song is
that each member has a chance to shine, unlike the previous songs or MVs which
are mostly dominated by B.I., Bobby, Junho, and Jinhwan quartet. To this end, I
realized that each member of iKON has a magnificent talent, though I must admit
that some members are better than the other.

On MV

As a fan of black and white, I
can’t find an excuse to hate this MV. I love how the director chose the black
& white tone for this piece. It somehow depicted the sorrow of the members
and the song’s gloom nuance.

However, at the end of the MV,
the tone suddenly changes into a normal one, which is weird I think. Why?
Because it looked like the director want to focus on the word “Hell,” which
refer to how the members felt after the love of their life was gone. It
portrayed that they are living in hell with no one to hold their hand – while
under the word “Heaven,” one of the member seen holding hands with his girl. If
the director really want to portray the hell the kids are living in, is it
better to portray it in black and white? Nevertheless, it’s a matter of taste.

Anyway, story-wise, I don’t find
the story of this MV as strong as the group’s Airplane. I think the director
want to focus on the beauty of the set, cinematography and each member’s
expression, rather than the story because I find the MV is lacking in story.

I love the set; it’s very
artistic. Did T.O.P involve in this MV-making?

Unfortunately, the members’
crying expression in the end made me cringe. I think they must take an acting
lesson.

On Members’ Performance

Let’s start with Junho. I love
his voice. It’s unique. Though all members have the chance to shine in this MV,
Junho manage to steal the main spotlight (for me, at least) because every time
I listened to the song or watched the MV, my mind would go directly to him. He
reminds of Taeyang. I know their voice is a hundred percent different. But he
gives off a Taeyang vibe. I think his role in iKON is looking pretty similar to
Taeyang’s role in Big Bang.

Now, let’s talk about the golden
boy of this group. Bobby. He grew up well, didn’t he? I remember the time I
watched WIN: Who is Next and saw how Bobby struggle with his talent. Now, I’m
looking at him in a different light. Thanks to SMTM, his popularity has risen
so quickly and strongly. Now, he’s one of the leading rappers in YG family. He
deserved that spot, though. His rapping skill is incredible and he has
something different from other rapper. His rash and sharp voice is Bobby’s
strongest ammunition. I really love his performance in this MV – except the
crying part.

The leader of the pact, B.I.,
also put on a solid performance. He’s like the clone of GD. His rapping style
and his cute image (and smile) reminds me of GD.